The Very Lonely Tenenbaum
by thematinee
Summary: The story starts with Richie confessing his love for Margot to the family. From there drama and some romance ensues as you take a look into the daily lives of the Tenenbaums. Rated T for language. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

The Very Lonely Tenenbaum

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters featured in my story. If I did do you really think I'd be here?

Chapter One

A broken silence followed Richie Tenenbaum's words. Would his family say nothing of his shocking revelation?

"I don't understand," Etheline said bemused. "You are in love with Margot? _Our_ Margot?"

Richie took a breath before responding. He had gone behind her back in telling the family, and he was still praying it was not a mistake. "I am," he finally whispered hesitantly.

The silence continued without showing a sign of being fleetingly interrupted.

"Well," Royal began, creasing and un-creasing his blazer nervously. "That's new…"

"Actually it's not. Richie informed me of his infatuation via mail last year," Eli Cash put in, a regular at Tenenbaum family meetings. He received shocked and angry stares from the group and quickly glanced back over to Richie. "Or should I not have said anything…"

"Well that's typical I suppose. I mean why would I expect him to tell me before Eli, it's not like I'm his brother or anything," Chas blurted, regretting bringing his children Ari and Oozie to the conference.

"It's not like that Chas. I told him because I was not sure what your reaction would have been. I'm telling you all now because I feel like I've been cornered," Richie said quietly but curtly.

"Well I guess it's best you told him and not me because I think this is one of the most disgusting things I've ever heard. Ari, Oozie get up we're leaving."

"Chas now don't do this, hear your brother out. Besides, Margot's adopted. And she is a very attractive and smart girl. Hell, I know exactly why he's in love with her," Royal chirped trying to shine a good light on his favorite boy.

Chas put on an unnecessarily disgusted face, grabbed his boys and headed for the door.

"Royal I think that was a totally inappropriate comment under the circumstances. She is our daughter and Richie's sister so don't twist the words in his favor," Etheline said monotonically. She turned to her eldest son, "Chas don't leave," she said. "You are part of the family and this is not over." He turned the knob and opened the door. "I said this is not over! Sit down we are not through! You are part of the family you will suffer through the bad times as well as the good and you will not walk out on us again!"

He opened his mouth to speak but sat down silently. The table was quiet.

"Where's Margot I wonder," Eli mused staring off into space.

"Cash, if you're going to speak make it audible. This is a conversation, if you'd like to join us speak so we can all here," Royal snapped looking thoroughly agitated.

"I'm sorry sir. It's the drugs."

"Mescaline, is it?" Richie asked.

"Indeed it is. It does it's job, but I don't know if that's worth the side effects."

"Yeah that's how a lot of drugs are these days."

"You'd think they'd be able-"

"I'm sorry I thought this was about Richie and Margot not you and some bullshit medicine story," Chas barked at Eli. "You ask me to stay and yet we solve nothing."

"Chas what do you mean by solve?" Royal asked.

"And where the hell is Margot? If you two are in love shouldn't she be here too? Or is she-"

"Chas sit down and chill out. She's not here because I didn't tell her I was informing you all. She wants it to be a secret and I don't see how that's right in any respect," Richie explained calmly.

The family fell deep into thought and nothing was said for a notable length of time.

Henry was first to speak which surprised everyone. He hadn't uttered a word throughout the meeting. "What are we going to do?" He asked looking at Richie.

* * *

Henry was sipping tea and gazing at the hutch before him. He loved Etheline. He would do anything for her, and that included helping her family get past the latest predicament. This was a unique one how ever, rest assured. 

"I wonder what they're going to do. Can they legally marry? Its true they're not blood siblings," Etheline said, furrowing the wrinkle lines permanently etched into her face.

"I don't know," Henry answered truthfully, coming out of his reverie. He was determined to find a solution for this problem.

"I suppose I should have seen it coming," she began. "I mean, if you only knew what his old room looked like. Pictures. Portraits everywhere of Margot. I never found that odd. I suspected nothing," she paused briefly and continued. "Even when they ran away together. That should have been the kicker but I didn't get it. I never got it."

"Now Etheline don't do this to yourself even if you had foreseen this what could you have done? It is no ones fault. It is what it is."

He sipped his tea and she nibbled her roll and an outsider would have not an inkling of the torture their minds were going through, were he just looking at them through the bay window. But at this point Etheline began to cry and leaned on Henry to hold her in her chair.

* * *

"So you told Mom," Margot repeated. 

Richie nodded.

"And Dad."

Another nod.

"Chas too?"

"Yes."

"How did that go?"

Richie looked up at her.

"Well," he said.

"So everyone knows now. Why didn't you invite me?"

"Because I was doing this all behind your back. And inviting you would have sort of blown my cover."

Margot sighed.

"Is it really worth it Richie?" She whispered.

He said nothing but kissed her instead.

"I love you Margot Tenenbaum."

"I think it may be a little too early to jab at the incest thing," she said, a quiet smile play across her lips. "But I love you too."

* * *

Royal sat on the roof, watching New York race by him through plumes of cigarette smoke. 

"What do you make of all this Pagoda?" He asked after inhaling deeply.

"I don't have the opinion," the portly man stuttered.

"Oh come on don't be such a stiff. My son wants to marry my daughter. Adopted. Well, actually he didn't say they had any marital plans. But I'd just as soon assume if ya' love someone marry 'em!"

"Ok," the Indian said playing with the loose button on his jacket.

Royal took his last drag and went in.

"Good talking to you again little man," he said gruffly.

When Royal had made his descent of the stairs complete Pagoda picked up a wet cigarette and after several vain attempts to light the match, enjoyed his smoke. He made his trek down the stairs only after swallowing the butt.

* * *

Chas was packing his bags furiously. His body moved stiffly and efficiently, like his mind. His face bore an agitated stare, his upper lip curled into a scowl. A very unapproachable state. 

His track jacket was unzipped for ventilation. Figures during the heat wave the air kicks out.

"Fit damn it!" He barked at his overflowing suitcase. His face grew taught with effort as he tried to pull the latches together, but fell loose with defeat as the case sprang open again.

"Ari, Ozie! One of you come and sit on this for me," he called across the room where his children sat engrossed in books and gameboys. "Ari! Ozie! Did you not here me? I said come and help me!"

Ari put his book down and jumped on the suitcase. It stayed closed just long enough for Chas to seize the latches and fasten them.

"There. Now, go wait in the cab, I still have a few things to take care of," the frustrated father instructed jogging slowly down the hall.

Ari and Ozie were stifled by the blast of searing air that greeted them on the porch.

"I hate this," the younger boy said looking uncomfortably up to his brother.

"Well I hate it too," Ozie replied picking up his bags and hopping down the stairs. "Every fucking time," he muttered stepping into the cab.

* * *

Ok sonot really sure at this point how to spell Ozie, so if you have any suggestions be my guest. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The house was cool when Margot entered. Cool and dark. She hadn't left long ago, but everything seemed different. And older, like when you go back to the house you grew up in after living alone for several years.

The place wasn't clean, but it wasn't a mess either. To her knowledge, it was exactly the way she left it. So why did she feel so out of place?

Margot felt she should sit down to wait, but it wasn't right, she didn't feel right here!

"Leave," she mused. "There's no point to this anyway."

But she didn't. She summed up all of her courage and sat down. The cushion exhaled dust and it put her into a coughing fit.

"Are you alright my darling?" Inquired a voice from the study.

"Raleigh?" She called, standing up again.

"I'm in the study," was the reply.

The study. Margot had been in there once, maybe twice tops. It was his haven. Whenever they fought, or rather, whenever she said mean things to him he would retreat to the study. That was also where most of his nights were spent. Raleigh St. Clair was a man obsessed with his work, and if his work required him to pull a few all-nighters (and by a few I mean a few times a week), he was ok with that.

She sat down on the patient's couch and shivered. It was even cooler in here. Raleigh turned around in his chair and took a long drink from his water.

"Well let me have a look at you," he finally said, taking off his glasses. "You haven't changed," he whispered sadly. "Not outside or in."

"I'm in love with Richie," she said frankly looking him straight in the eyes.

"I know."

For a long time they just stared at each other. Raleigh tried to stare her down, but his efforts were futile and she held his gaze. Finally the old man sighed and looked down at his feet.

"I know," he repeated. "I've always known. In the back of my mind. I mean how could I not, right? You're young. It's not to late for you to fall in love again. It's not even to late for you to marry again. But me? I am old Margot. I'm much to old to start again, much to old to even think of starting again! I love you my darling please don't leave me."

"Raleigh. I don't even know what to say to that. But I will tell you now I can't be with you anymore."

"Can't or don't want to?" He asked, for the first time showing any sign of anger towards her.

"Both I guess. I love someone else Raleigh. Even if I did stay with you it would be out of pity rather than love. And who would want that?"

"Margot I can make you happy! I can and I will! This thing with Richie, it isn't real. You'll wake up next to him one day and realize your mistake and you will regret it Margot. You will! I can promise you, you will. Because that's what you do. You make bad decisions and you're forced to live with them. This is a fling I swear it is."

"I know I'm prone to making mistakes. But Richie is not one of them- in fact lets just leave Richie completely out of this. You were the mistake Raleigh. Not him."

The doctor wiped his eyes and stood up. "I'm sorry you feel that way. Please note that my house is always open to you and feel free to come back anytime. For now, I assume you know where the door is?"

And she left

* * *

"Chas we are not naming our child Uzi! That's absurd!" Rachel said laughing.

"Why? It's a great name! Better than Brian anyway," he replied defensively.

"Hey. That was my father's name. And he was a, uh… he was a very… noble man," she retorted giggling. "I am putting my foot down on this one. My first-born son is not going to be named Uzi. Where did you even come up with that? It sounds like something right out of a Dr. Seuss book."

"Dr. Seuss was a great man Rachel. You shouldn't mock him."

Rachel looked hard at her husband, trying to see the find the joke in his eyes. It wasn't there.

"Chas are you kidding? I don't get it. You really think Uzi is a good name for kid?"

Chas put the last throw pillow into the chest and flopped into bed.

"I do," he whispered, his lips pressed against her neck, then slowly migrating up to her cheek and finding their way to her painted lips. He put his hand on her leg and pulled away. "The best friend I ever had was named Uzi. I want my son to be everything he was."

"Well why can't we just name him Chas and he can grow up to be like you? After all I fell in love with Chas Tenenbaum not Uzi Whatever," Rachel said rolling on top of him.

"Uzi was better than me. And that's the way I want my son," he declared closing his eyes.

Rachel didn't say anything for a long time but he felt her disappear.

"Good bye Chas," he heard her say.

"No. No not tonight. Tonight you should stay. Please stay I miss-"

But it was too late. Chas woke up in his room alone in the dark. He pulled the pillow close to his face and screamed. He hated it. He hated the dreams. He hated being happy again, and waking up to find he still had nothing. The good dreams were worse than the nightmares. How could he get over his Rachel when every night she haunted him?

At this point in the night Chas felt envy brooding in the pit of his stomach. Envy for every man who was in love. Envy for every man who has someone to love him back. Envy for his brother, who had that even if it was in an unorthodox fashion. He wanted to be Richie Tenenbaum, and he found this odd because he hadn't wanted that since he was 16. And that was a long time ago.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"How did you sleep Richie?" Etheline asked buttering her toast and gazing at him intently.

"I slept well. No dreams, as usual," he replied, not touching the eggs, sausage, or the toast prepared for him.

"Well dreams are unnecessary anyway. They're just distractions right? And it's not like you can remember them when you wake up," she continued.

"I remember my dreams," Margot put in, not looking at anyone in particular and especially not Richie.

"Oh? Any you'd like to share?" Etheline persisted.

"No. Not really…"

"Yeah, mom I'm not really feeling like I want to have a dream discussion. You should take that up with Raleigh," Richie said after clearing his throat thoroughly. He pushed his plate away from him and folded his hands in his lap.

Margot shot him a look similar to the one a mother takes on after hearing her son's been having sex for the first time. Any thoughts of further conversation were at that point vanquished.

"How's business?" Margot finally asked Henry out of complete desperation to change the air of the room.

Henry looked up from his plate, apparently surprised to be invited into the conversation by anyone other than Etheline.

"Business is good. Slowing down, but its still putting bread on the table," he answered politely.

"Business slowed down for me a long time ago. I think it's getting better though," she remarked half-heartedly.

"And what is it that you do again Margot?"

She sighed.

"I'm a writer," was her almost regretful response.

"And a damn good one," Etheline chimed in. "Henry did you know she was awarded a 50,000 dollar grant in the 9th grade for a play she wrote?"

"Mom stop-"

"It's true! Royal and I were delighted when we found out. You know she started writing so long ago I can't even-"

"Mom shut up. You know I haven't completely one God damn thing 16 years. Stop acting like I'm still your immaculate genius daughter," Margot stated this calmly as opposed to yelling it which would have been the preferred way of most. She took her plate into the kitchen and later locked herself in her room.

Etheline watched her go and then turned back to her newspaper.

"I thought I was helping," she mumbled.

* * *

Uzi Tenenbaum hardly touched hiscereal this morning, and for the first time he realized he was probably the only 12 year old boy in New York eating off brand cornflakes in low fat soy milk. The thought disgusted him. He wanted to be normal, like the other kids at his school. Like Brian Hatching. But looking down at his red tracksuit, and running his fingers through his curly black hair he remembered he wasn't, and as long as he lived with his father he never would be.

"How did you sleep Ari?" Chas asked gulping his coffee down like an addict.

Yes, how did you sleep Ari? I would love to know. It doesn't really matter how Uzi slept, he's not the one going to Oxford when he turns sixteen. He's not the one that spends his time writing out financial plans; he's the one who spends his time in detention.

"I slept ok dad. No dreams," Ari said scooping up the last of his not-right-cornflakes onto his spoon.

"No? None for me either," Chas replied brightly.

Liar. Uzi knew he'd had another dream about Mom. Whenever he had a dream like that he always came down stairs acting like the happiest man alive so Ari wouldn't worry. Keep Ari happy and hopeful.

"I had a dream dad," Uzi put in. "About mom."

Great, Ari thought. Of all the days to ruffle dad's feathers Uzi picked this one. Why? Why did Uzi think it was fun to see dad fall apart? _He_ certainly didn't think it was fun, he thought it was scary. But Uzi was always finding new ways to rattle dad's cage. It was all a game to him.

"Did you?" Chas said nervously playing with his zipper.

"Yep. It was the day of the plane crash. Remember? You and her had that big fight and so she moved to the back of the plane and you told her it was fine and that you didn't want to sit with her anyway? Well, in my dream she didn't go to the back you did. But you didn't die you just weren't around anymore. It was like you just went away after the plane ride. Isn't that weird?"

Uzi was such a liar. He told me about that dream last year, Ari thought. And he told me he would never tell dad, it would make him sad. But that was Uzi for you, always breaking his promises.

Chas' face tightened and his eyes hardened. He knew what Uzi was doing. He did this every once in a while, making him feel guilty about Rachel's death that is. Uzi had been angry with him since the funeral and he wasn't the forgiving type. Like father like son, eh?

"That's an interesting dream Uzi. How did it make you feel?" Chas asked trying to smile.

This was just like him, Uzi thought. Mocking me. Well he can suck it cause I'm not taking it anymore.

"I'm done," he declared and dumped his untouched cereal into the sink.

"Don't worry about him dad. He's just cranky," Ari told his father after watching his negative reaction to the situation. "He'll get over it."

"No he won't," Chas murmured sadly. "He's got too much of me in him."

* * *

Eli Cash sat in his car with the top down. It was scorching but he didn't move.

_Ditched rehab today,_ he wrote in his journal. _I don't know why I did it, it wasn't very smart. They'll just make me stay with the program longer. But maybe I don't want to be straight. Maybe I enjoy the high I get. Why should anyone give a fuck if I enjoy shooting up every now and again, it's not any of their business?_

_But there is still the Tenenbaum situation. Richie wants nothing more than to see me go straight, and Margot feels the same way. This isn't you Eli, she once told me. You're better than this. Well maybe I am and maybe I'm not, she doesn't know my self worth. Maybe I'm just a loser and this _is_ who I am. She knows nothing._

_Chas and I were never all that close but I we talk from time to time and ever since I killed his dog I feel like I owe it to him and the kids. I mean, a guy can't just go running around New York City killing dogs and ruining weddings can he? No. I have to go sober. It's the only option… _

_I ditched rehab today. I don't know why I did it, it was stupid and I'm considering going back. But I'm not going to._

Eli threw his journal into the glove box and drove away.


End file.
